Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1887-04-21


Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa,
Nebraska, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Mich
igan, Kansas and Oregon-as do six of the
eight territories. Nearly all Of the principal
rivers bear Injun names. Many of the Injun
names have been corrupted until their
original form and significance have been lost.
Few people understand that the words Miami
and Maumee, names of rivers in Ohio, are
really one and the same, the former being the
French and the latter the English orthogra-
ply of the Iniun word "Me-au-mee"
Moreover, the Injun has given us hun
dreds OF words and terms in daily use, now
parts of our language, and their origin un-
known or forgotten. He has given us many
apt expressions, and metaphors, too, such as
to bury the hatchet' for making peace the
rivers run with blood for war in the country
you have spoken with your lips only and not
from the heart;' you stopped my ears for
keeping secret; singing BIRDS meaning
tale bearers, story tellers; I will place you
under my WINGS and suffer no grass to grow
under your feet or mo grass shall grow on
! the war path
II know it is the fashion," continued the
red mans friend, "to denounce the Injun
character, and to echo Gen. Sheridan's epi-
gram about all good Injuns being dead ones.
But let me tell you that in one respect at
least the Injun, in his uncorrupted state, was
superior to his present successor as master Of
the soil, and that was as citizen. His at
tachment for his tribe was remarkable.
There have been few Injun traitors. In their
love Of country they were proof against all
temptation and fear. If we had few
Injuns in our big cities now, and could
naturalize them and elect them aldermen and
county commissioners, we'd be better off. The
honor of an Injuns tribe and the welfare of
his nation were always first to be considered,
personal prosperity or advancement being in
variably of secondary Importance.
"There's another thing about the Injun.
Take him as man, among his people, one of
his most prominent characteristics was that
OF due respect for the individual rights of
Others The Injun was never a thief until the
white man taught him how to steal; he never
cheated his neighbor, nor run off with his
tribesman's horse nor his friends wife. The
Indian has been charged with thievery, but
as between him and the white man history
records the fact that the latter was the first
offender. The first larceny committed in this
country was by party of Plymouth Rock
Puritans. While exploring the country for
site for new settlement they found guam
tity of corn stored up by the Injuns for win
ter's use. The cribs were not locked-the red
men didn't know that there was such thing
as stealing-and the Puritans took the corn
and carried it away. Some apologist for the
Puritans has said the ancestral New England
erS intended to recompense the Indians for
the property so taken whenever they could
find them, but history does not record that they
ever found the identical Injuns who owned
the corn and paid them therefor This expla-
nation is not very satisfactory, at any rate
when we take into consideration the fact that
the Puritans at this time were armed with
guns and swords, and in pursuit of the In
juns small and peaceable tribe. Perhaps
they were merely chasing the Injuns to re-
compense them for the corn. In native 1njun
life but one crime is known to their society
murder, and for this the penalty is death.
With the red man the penalty was inflicted
by some relative or party aggrieved. White
men hire person called a bangman to do the
same thing. No true son of the forest could
be induced to assume the position of an exc
cutioner for mere pecuniary consideration.
at is not impossible that the primal idea Of
an American republic was borrowed from
the Injuns They were the original Repub
licans. Their government was not one Of
force, but of acquiescence on the part of the
governed. Their leaders had no great power.
Councils were frequent, and in council age,
experience, wisdom and bravery counted for
more than rank. They had no ballot box,
but war chiefs were selected for their deeds
of valor in the field while continuity and sta
bility of government were generally secured
by making the office of civil chief or patri-
arch, hereditary.
"Civilization has often sneered at the In
juns fantastic dress, his painted face, his
grim ornaments and his exposure of his
breast and arms. But let me give you some
facts about this dress matter. True, the In
jun paints his face, but so does the white
woman, the difference being that the red
mans paint signifies something-his rank,
some of his feats in battle or the chase, or
his reputation for wisdom or bravery-while
the white womans paint is used simply out of
vanity and for purposes of deception. The
same is true of the bird claws which the In
jun wears suspended about his neck. They
mean something, as do the quills, the scalps
of animals or enemies with which his person
is adorned. But doesn't the woman of civ
iliZation wear bird claws and feathers, too,
and the skins of animals, merely to Ec fash
ionable, and without any significance what
ever of character or individuality! Every
thing an Injun wears in the way of orna-
ment. every line painted on his face has its
significance, and is from his point of view,
a proper part of his individuality.
In civilization it is right the other
way. Here we destroy individuality
and do our best to ape one another.
OF course the Injun has been corrupted by
his association Nth white men, but in his
native state his general character-virtually
without vice as an individual, intensely patri-
otic. invariably respectful to the aged, truth
ful, brave-was es well worthy of admiration
as ANYTHING that can be found in history"
Elijah, it will be seen, has great confidence
i'm the red man. and has reasons to give for
the faith that is in him-a faith which was
strong enough to survive the discouraging
failure of test which he made a year or two
since Having taking liking to an Ojibway
chippewa youth whom he saw during a
visit to the reservation of that tribe Elijah
brought tie youth to Illinois and set him to
work on the farm. He WIS a tall noble look
ing fellow, with an eagle eve and raven hair,
proud and self contained and for time his
patron fondly exhibited him TO all visitors.
Three months later that son OF the forest had
become q drunken, lazy lOut, ana Sucn a uef-
ror to the hen roosts and women of the neigh
borhood that Elijah was compelled to send
him back to the reservation. "All due to the
evil influences of viliZation-demoralZed by
civilization" says Elijah.
WALTER WELLMAN
uer out into the kitchen and see how many
tramps the cook is feeding at my expense.n-
Detroit Free Press.